Store-goods lifter.



No. 805,405. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. J. H. BELTZ.

STORE GOODS LIFTER.

APPLICATION rum) FEB. 24. 1905.

wzwvzssss: I F. 6, Human: 09.5fm. U %M%%zn Wall or ceiling.

ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. BELTZ, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ADOLPH W.MOHR, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

STORE-GOODS LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905..

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. BELTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-GoodsLifters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for taking down and putting up goods onshelves and other supports in stores; and the object is to provide ahandy, efiicient, and universally applicable store-goods lifter by whicha great Variety of goods may be handled. This objectIattain by the novelconstruction and combination of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in whichv Figure 1 is a side elevation of my storegoods lifterin its general form. Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is amodification of the right-hand portion of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a rearview-of the upper part of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a modification of the toppiece of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a central section on the line a a in Fig. 2omitting the element 6 7. Fig. 7 is a top view of the jaws of the devicein a modified form.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 designates a rod orhandle of any desired length. Adjacent to the handhold 2 of the same ispivoted at 3 a bell-crank lever 4 in such a position that its lower armmay be grasped into the same hand grasping the handhold 2. From theother arm of the lever extends a wire or cord 5, which has its upper endsecured to the arm 6 of a cam 7, pivoted at 8 in the metallic frame 9,secured at the upper end of the handle 1 and normally held by the spring10 in Fig. l or 10 in Fig. 4 with its arm 6 elevated and the jaws 11open or spread. Said jaws 11 are pivoted on a stud 12, (see Fig. 6,) oneabove the other, and are retained on the hub by a washer 13, the eye 14of the hook 15, and the screw 16, threaded into the stud 12.

The hook 15 is handy for hanging up and taking down pails, lanterns,clothing, and other goods supported from a hook in the It is held firmlyby the head at the side of the of the screw 16 and is arranged out ofthe way for the jaws 11. The jaws are spread and closed by theconverging edges 17 of the cam 7 as the latter moves up or down in thenotches 18, formed in the rear projections or tails 19 of the jaws. Saidtails may, however, instead of a notch have a point 20, as in Figs. 3and 7, operated by grooves 21 in the cam, as in Fig. 3. In thepreferable form, Fig. 2, the jaws form curved arms well adapted to graspbottles and all kinds of canned goods supported on the grocers shelvesin cylindrical cans, and if such cans are piled so close together thatthe jaws 11 cannot enter between the cans then the down and inwardpointing teeth or fingers 22 of the jaws are let downward into thespaces always open between cylindrical bodies, and the desired can isthus lifted out or else moved into position to be grasped by the jawsproper. At the free ends of the jaw 11 are formed smaller jaws or hooks23, which serve to grasp bottles by the neck in placing them upon a highshelf or taking them down from same. The fingers 22 also serve to engagemore firmly the sides of a box or other goods to be handled. If thedevice is especially intended for handling boxes in shoe-stores and thelike places, the jaws may be more like 11 in Fig. 7, and the fingers 22may be thin horizontal lugs 22, as indicated in the cross-section withinFig. 7, adapted to support the edges of the bottom of the box, while thejaws fit more or less against the sides of the box, according to itssize. If the box is smaller than to bring the jaws to about the parallelposition, then the box is apt to tilt and perhaps slip from the jaws. Toprevent this, I provide a flat supporting-arm 24, which passes in underthe box to support it. It may also be used in raising the box from theshelf when standing between other boxes, so that the jaws can reach it.The arm is therefore projecting forward beyond the jaws. Said arm 24 ispivotally secured by a friction-joint 25 in Figs. 1 and 2 frame 9; butsuch joint may also be formed, as in Fig. 6, by giving the arm an eye orring 26 to encircle the tube of the frame between the shoulder 27 andthe set-screwed collar 28. In either case the arm will stay wherever itis set and may thus be held forward for lifting boxes or turned to oneside or rearwardly when only the jaws 11 or 23 are to be used.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A store-goods lifter comprising a rod or handle, a head piece orframe secured on the upper end thereof, a pair of horizontallyswingingjaws pivotally secured upon the frame and having rearward projections, acam pivoted in the rear of the frame and being formed with convergingguides engaging the rearward projections so as to spread and close thejaws as the cam oscillates, a spring ar ranged to hold the cam normallyin a position opening the jaws, an arm on the cam, a cord, wire orsimilar means extending from said arm to the lower end of the rod, and abellcrank lever pivoted to the rod and having one arm secured to saidcord and the other arm in position to be operated by the fingers of thehand holding the lower end of the rod.

2. A store-goods lifter comprising a rod or handle, a head piece orframe secured on the upper end thereof, a pair of horizontallyswingingjaws pivotally secured upon the frame and having rearward projections, acam pivoted in the rear of the frame and being formed with convergingguides engaging the rearward projections so as to spread and close thejaws as the cam oscillates, a spring arranged to hold the cam normallyin a position opening the jaws, an arm on the cam, a cord or similarmeans extending from said arm, to the lower end of the rod, and abell-crank lever pivoted to the rod and having one arm secured to saidcord or wire and the other arm in position to be operated by the fingersof the hand holding the lower end of the rod, and the supporting-arm 2 Lpivoted in a position to be swung below the jaws or away therefrom asmay be required.

3. A store-goods lifter comprising a rod or handle, a pair ofhorizontally-swinging jaws pivotally mounted at or near the top of therod, and means for closing and opening the jaws from the lower end ofthe rod, said jaws having at their lower edges lugs or fingersprojecting inward from.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. BELTZ. [1 s.]

Witnesses:

ROBERT VARIEN, A. F. MASGHGER.

and downwardly there- I

